tone
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the mood or feeling expressed by the way someone speaks or writes.
n.the general character or attitude of a piece of writing or a speech, often conveyed through diction and register.
Simple“The tone of his email was very professional, even though he was complaining.”
In context“The author maintains a cynical tone throughout the novel, frequently mocking the pretensions of the upper-class characters.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.the quality or character of a particular sound or voice.
n.the distinctive timbre or quality of a musical sound or a person's speaking voice.
Simple“The singer has a very warm, rich tone that is perfect for jazz.”
In context“The violin's tone was remarkably bright, cutting through the orchestral texture even during the most complex passages.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the firmness and strength of your muscles.
n.the normal state of tension or responsiveness in a muscle; often used to describe a lean, fit appearance.
Simple“Regular swimming is a great way to improve your muscle tone.”
In context“The physical therapist noted a significant improvement in the patient's muscle tone after six weeks of resistance training.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a particular shade or variety of a colour.
n.the lightness, darkness, or specific quality of a colour.
Simple“The room was decorated in soft tones of blue and grey.”
In context“The artist used earthy tones to ground the composition, contrasting them with a single splash of vibrant crimson.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
n.the use of high or low pitch to change the meaning of a word.
n.the use of pitch in language to distinguish lexical or grammatical meaning.
Simple“In Mandarin Chinese, the same sound can have different meanings depending on the tone.”
In context“The phonological analysis revealed that the dialect uses tone to distinguish between past and present tense markers.”
Synonyms - 06 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make your body or muscles firmer and stronger through exercise.
v.to improve the firmness or physiological condition of the body or a specific muscle group.
Simple“These exercises are designed to tone your stomach muscles.”
In context“While cardio is excellent for heart health, you need weight training if you want to tone your arms effectively.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 07 C1 Advanced
v.to change the colour or mood of something, like a photo.
v.to give a particular skin, colour, or character to something; often used in photography or art.
Simple“The photographer decided to tone the image with a sepia filter for a vintage look.”
In context“The chemical process used to tone the prints resulted in a deep, metallic blue that enhanced the industrial themes of industrial decay.”
“The tone of his voice is so pleasing.”
“As Abramović said in a droll tone when I asked her my final questions about the show: “What else do we need to talk about?”
From Middle English ton, tone, from Latin tonus (“sound, tone”) (possibly through Old French ton), from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos, “strain, tension, pitch”), from τείνω (teínō, “to stretch”). Doublet of tune, ton, tonos, and tonus.
From Middle English tone, ton, toon, from the incorrect division of thet one (“the/that one”). Compare Scots tane in the tane; see also tother.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.